Rose Red Slippers
by KillYourRockStars
Summary: Corin Carnarvon is alone in the world when her mother is murdered. The only family she has left is an aunt she has never met, Evelyn O'Connell and her husband Rick who have agreed to take her in...
1. Chapter 1

Okay, a few notes before we begin the story.

There will be an official disclaimer at the beginning of each post, but to make it clear now, I do not own _The Mummy_. I will never own _The Mummy_. None of the characters or plot themes/ideas from _The Mummy_ are mine, and I give full credit to the nice folks who do own them. _The Mummy_ was directed by Stephan Sommers and Greg Michael. The Cast includes: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr and Patricia Velasquez. The copyright date is 1999.

Please, don't sue me.

This fan fiction takes place in-between the two Mummy movies, maybe mid 20's. Oded Fehr's character Ardeth Bay was supposed to be around 32 in the movies, but for the sake of my story I'm making him closer to 28.

I intend on using some Egyptian mythology in my story, and I want to make it clear that I am no expert. I may be wrong about things, and if you notice errors in my spelling or history, please inform me. Otherwise, it's all in good fun.

The main myth I'm using is called "The Girl with the Rose Red Slippers" thus the name. It's an early Cinderella story that I'm quite fond of. If you wish to red this myth in full, you can find it online at any number of sources. The full myth will also be explained in the story, so there is no confusion.

I'm also sorry for any historical inconsistencies. I know some of the things included in my story were not around at the time the film was set, and I am sorry about that.

Thank-you for your time, and I hope you enjoy.

K.

&#$$&(&$

Corin Elliott Carnahan sat on the settee watching cartoons, eating a bowl of soup. She was 18, too old for cartoons really, but she loved watching them anyways. Her long dark hair was tangled and uncombed from the long day in the wind and her ratty old nightgown was dusted with crumbs from an earlier snack. Her short tan legs were tucked underneath her for warmth. It was pretty cold in Paris for early Spring, and windy too. Unfortunately, the flat didn't have a heater so body heat would have to do. Lydia, her mother, wasn't home, but that wasn't uncommon. Who could say when Lydia would see fit to grace Corin with her presence? It was a dreary Sunday, just like 1,000 dreary Sunday's before it.

It was 5:30 when the doorbell rang.

"Hello 'mam, are you Corin Carnahan?" the officer at the door asked her.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" she asked. Whatever this was, it probably had to do with Lydia. She'd most likely gotten herself arrested for something equally as stupid.

"Your mother is Lydia Jane Carnahan?"

"Yes, she is."

"I'm afraid it is my duty to inform you that at 5:15 today at St Regis Hospital your mother, Lydia Carnahan, passed away due to complications resulting from gunshot wound. We received the call around 4:45 and proceeded immediatley to the scene. By the time we arrived your mother was already in a severe condition. She was rushed to the hospital, but we were unable to save her life. It appears she was the victim of a mugger. It is my duty to escort you to the hospital where you will need to identify the body. You will then be taken into protective custody until the matter of where you are to go is sorted out. I'm terribly sorry 'mam. " The world seemed to tilt around Corin. She felt numb all over. Her whole world seemed to hang on this police man's every word. "What I'm trying to say 'mam, it that your mother is dead."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own _The Mummy_ or any of the rights to _The Mummy_ or any of it's characters, story lines, or merchandise. I do however own Corin Carnarvon, so bite me. You steal her, you die. Thank you and enjoy.



Corin Elliott Carnahan couldn't even remember crying when she found out Lydia was dead. She knew she hadn't cried when the nice cop had come to take her to the station, and she couldn't recall shedding a single tear at any time during the hellish weeks that followed. She could remember the hollowness that had accompanied the news; she could remember the loneliness and the anger. She could remember hating her mother for dieing. She could even remember stupid things, like what TV show she'd been watching when the doorbell rang. But she couldn't remember crying.

The thought bothered her. Weren't normal people supposed to cry when their family members died? She didn't remember the idea of crying even occurring to her, in all the time since she had found out. Not even once. Her mother, Lydia Carnahan, was dead and Corin hadn't even bothered to cry. _What kind of shitty daughter am I?_ She wondered, _what kind of kid doesn't even cry when their mum dies? _

Not that Lydia had really been much of a mother. She'd brought Corin into the world, the definition of motherhood, but beyond that…Lydia hadn't been able to make canned soup without setting off the fire alarm, much less prepare a family dinner. Corin had never known Lydia to fuss over her or worry when she came home late like other kids mothers. Usually it was Corin doing the worrying, waiting for her mother to come home. It was Corin who had taken care of Lydia throughout all of her disastrous relationships and inevitable breakups. It was Corin who had seen to it that the bills were paid each month, knowing that Lydia would probably forget.

"Thanks sugar," she would say, lighting up one of her horrible clove cigarettes. Then she would smile proudly, her big ol' lopsided grin, and ruffle Corin's hair affectionately. "What would I do without you honey?" And all Corin's annoyance would disappear in spite of her self. It was impossible to stay mad at Lydia. Or it had been anyway.

And now Lydia was gone, leaving her daughter utterly alone in the world. Until quite recently, Corin hadn't known anything about the family beyond her mother. She'd never known her father, who had apparently wanted nothing to do with his child, and Lydia's family was a taboo subject. Lydia had been the grade "A" screw up in her family, ran away from home at 16, came back at 18 pregnant and alone to find her parents wanted nothing to do with her. She hadn't liked talking to Corin about her family, and frankly, Corin hadn't cared enough to ask. The Carnahan family wanted nothing to do with Lydia; therefore, Corin wanted nothing to do with them.

And now these people, this family that knew and cared nothing for her mother, were the only family she had in the world. At 18, the same age poor Lydia was discovering how alone she was, her daughter was doing the same. The only member of the family that had offered to take her in was Lydia's sister, an aunt Corin had never met, had never even heard mention of until now. Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell.

So she was leaving France, the land of her childhood, the land her mother had loved so much, the land where her mother was buried and going to England to live with an aunt she had never met. It was raining as she boarded the ferry that would carry her across the English Channel. The sky was crying, for no reason Corin could see, and she couldn't even muster up some tears for her mother. As she watched the coast fade away, she tried to remember every detail of France, or Lydia, of her home before it became to far gone to recall.

She tried to remember every feature of Lydia's face, her narrow cheeks, her tan skin, her oval eyes, the prettiest sheen of green. She tried to remember her goofy smile and every piercing on her body. She tried to remember the exact spot on Lydia's back where her tattoo of an Ankh was. It was easy to pull for the image of her mother's uniquely lovely face, easy to draw Lydia back from the depths of her mind. Clearer and clearer, until she was standing in front of Corin with all her flaws and wrongs never to be recanted.

"I hate you!" A part of Corin screamed at the vision of her mother, "I hate you for leaving me, I hate you for never being a mother when I needed one!" But all Lydia could do was smile, that big goofy grin, at her daughter.

Abruptly, she pushed the memories of Lydia drunk, or Lydia stoned aside and focused on the happier ones. Lydia teaching her how to play the violin, and later the guitar. Lydia teaching her how to find constellations in the night sky. Lydia laughing. Lydia smiling proudly, more a child than anything else, so innocent in an odd way Corin hadn't really understood.

And suddenly, there on the deck of the ferry, alone in the rain, Corin realized that she was crying and the world was crying with her. And at the moment she realized this, she was so shocked and happy that she could cry, that she started to laugh. And so she stood, on the deck of that dinky ferry, half laughing, half crying, until the nice porter called her inside.



"Now remember to give her some space, she's been through a great deal…"

"Eve-"

"But don't act distant, we want her to feel welcome you know…"

"Eve-"

"The thing to do in this situation is just stay calm and-"

"EVELYN!" Rick O'Connell cried exasperatedly at his wife, who was currently pacing the small ferry wharf with an air of hysteria. Eve O'Connell was quite clearly in a state of distress. "Calm down love," Rick ordered, "everything is going to be fine."

"Well of course it will, I mean is must, it simply-"

"Eve!"

"Right, calm. I can do this." Taking a deep breath she ran a hand through her dark wavy hair and smoothed the fabric of her white skirt absent-mindedly for the thousandth time. Rick smiled at her worry.

"I don't honestly know why you've insisted on going bonkers over this Ev," Jonathan Carnahan voiced from his position leaning against the wall to the right of Rick. The cold rainy air was not to his taste and he could think of a thousand far more pleasant places he'd rather be than the dingy wharf.

"Because she's our niece Jonathan! Lydia's daughter! And-O God! That must be the ferry!" she darted over to the railing overlooking the channel. An ancient ferry was making its way through the rain, heading right for the "Lucky Fisherman's Warf." Eve started pacing again.

"Calm Eve." Rick reminded. Jonathan rolled his eyes.



Corin knew her aunt right away, although she'd never seen the woman before in her life. It didn't make a difference. The face she spotted was just like her own, just like Lydia's. The resemblance between the three of them was uncanny. As she approached, the woman she knew instantly was Eveyln O'Connell smiled, an all too familiar goofy smile of welcome, and for one brief beautiful moment none of it was true. For one beautiful moment it was Lydia greeting her, and reflexively she smiled at the familiar face. And then that moment was gone, taking Lydia with it. Bracing herself, she moved toward the only family she had in the world.

"Here we go."


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note/disclaimer: I do not own nor do I claim any rights to any of the contents of the film _The Mummy. _Corin, Lydia, and Viktor are however mine. Steal them and die.

!$#&!

The first thing she was aware off was the blackness, and not your everyday blackness, pitch-blackness. It was the kind of black that surrounds you totally, so you can't tell if your eyes are open or closed. It was the kind of black that you couldn't find in the bright cities of Paris. Total darkness. And then came the movement, the gyring spryring to and fro, tossing her back and forth rhythmically. The darkness seemed vast, empty, and _alive. _

It was dark and damp and _hot_, so hot she felt like she was melting. In fact, it seemed as though wherever she was, it was melting too. Visions, blurred and unfocused swam before her eyes, visions that ran and oozed. Men, dark men, moving all around her, and wood everywhere. She felt as though she were trapped in a wooden crate floating in a river of molten lava. Moisture poured off of the walls and pooled on the filthy straw covered floor. Everything was moving, or maybe it was she that was moving. Corin couldn't honestly tell.

Everything around her seemed muddy and unfocused, but the further down the damp corridor she looked the clearer things got. She was moving, by some strange force that sucked her in, toward that particular spot, quite unspectacular. A torch was burning there; the focal point everything Corin could see.

_A ship…I'm on a ship… _she realized.

Cells materialized from the dark walls around her. Moans and coughs and cries in languages she couldn't begin to place filled her ears. This was a prison, a floating prison. The people inside the cells were blurry, unfocused blobs, but the cries, they left Corin's ears ringing. She was moving faster now, drawn inexplicably toward the torch. The blobs in the cells became even more blurred and distorted by her speed as she rushed toward it.

And suddenly she was stopped, as though she had hit a massive invisible wall. There was a cell directly across from the torch, and Corin realized that she could clearly see the person inside. _It must be the torchlight…_she mused. _It's the torchlight that's allowing me to see inside. _

The cell was small, dark, damp, and hot. In the corner was a bale of filthy hay that Corin knew instinctively served as a bed. And there, in the center, bound by chains, was a young girl. Her face was hidden beneath a tangled mess of black curls, and her whole body trembled with sobs. Her skin, which must have been quite clear and fair once, was almost entirely covered in dirt. She was a ruined wretched human, left utterly alone to her misery in this rank cell.

_Rhodopis…_the girls name came to Corin from nowhere. _Her name is Rhodopis… _Something banged from far above, on the deck of the ship and the girl's face shot up. Corin screamed.

&#$!? 

Corin sat bolt upright in her bed, shaking with the memory of her dream. She couldn't remember much, just blurry images and a girl in a cell. She could remember the girl looking up, and being terrified by her face. The problem was, she couldn't actually remember what the girls face looked like. Nothing. Her mind simply drew a blank.

Sighing, she laid back down. This was the fourth time she'd had that same dream. Over and over again she walked down that long dark hallway, over and over again she saw that girl, but never could she remember her face. _This is getting ridiculous! _Freezing she listened to the quiet O'Connell house. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound, which was good. That meant that she hadn't made a sound. The first few times she'd had this dream, she'd woken to the worried faces of her aunt and uncle. Apparently, they'd awoken to her screaming in her sleep.

Corin glanced at her clock. 4:30 am. That gave her three hours to sleep before her aunt Eve would come in to wake her. God bless the woman, she was slowly driving Corin insane with her constant fretting. First she was worried that Corin wouldn't like her, then she was worried that Corin would be emotionally unstable, and now she was worried that Corin didn't have enough clothing. Which was why, today after breakfast, her aunt would be taking her on a shopping expedition.

Rolling over in her twin bed, she forced herself to close her eyes and at least try to go back to sleep. Today would be long enough without the loss of three precious hours of rest. Within minuets she was sound asleep. No more nightmares plagued her rest that night.

#&$!$? 

"Now, we've gotten you new shirts and skirts and socks and that lovely dress outfit, but we still need new shoes and a few groceries before we head hone-" Eve was saying. They were on hour four of the great shopping trip and she showed no signs of slowing. She had dragged Corin from one boutique to another, insisting that Corin try on and model countless outfits for her. Travel clothes, formal wear, casual wear, semi-casual wear, semi-formal wear, semi-formal casual wear, and the list went on. Now all that was left were shoes.

Corin wandered through the aisles of the shoe store, glancing briefly at the many makes and models. Eve had picked out dress shoes for her and had helped her find a good set of boots that Corin couldn't imagine needing (apparently the O'Connell's traveled a lot) so all that remained were casual everyday shoes. All the shoes she'd seen so far were nice and unoutstanding, shoes anyone might wear without a second thought. Nothing grabbed her as shoes she would wear.

That's when she saw them, sitting in the display case at the end of aisle four. They were rose-colored converse high tops. A color she's never seen. She knew at that moment that no other shoe would do. She had to have them. Eve agreed. They snagged them and proceeded to the checkout.

"Evelyn? Evelyn Carnahan?" a man behind them called. Eve turned.

"O goodness! If it isn't Viktor Odlethorpe! How are you dear!" Eve hugged the man. He was fairly tall and very tanned, as though his occupation called for many hours out in the sun. His hair was a deep brown, the same color as his eyes. His smile was genuine, although Corin thought it looked awkward on his face, as if he didn't smile very much. She wondered why that was. _What kind of person doesn't smile?_ His tone was absolutely bored. "And it's O'Connell now, Rick and I were married late last year. You do remember Rick?"

"How wonderful to hear!" It didn't look at all like Viktor Odlethorpe thought this news was wonderful at all. In fact, it looked quite the opposite, he looked absolutely disgusted. "And who is this?" he enquired. Corin jumped a little. She'd almost forgotten her own presence, so caught up in watching as she'd been. Thankfully, Eve answered for her.

"This is my niece, Corin. She's come from France to stay with us for a while. Corin, this is my friend and colleague Viktor Odlethorpe, an Egyptologist like myself. We've known each other for years."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance" Viktor Odlethorpe said tiredly, as though the line had been rehearsed one thousand times over to the point it became automatic and completely devoid of emotion. He put a hand forward.

"How do you do?" Corin said awkwardly shaking his hand. Then, sensing Corin's discomfort Eve hurried on.

"What project are you working on now Viktor?" He laughed. It was the most emotion he had shown the entire time, and even that seemed bored and dry. It was as if the man were incapable of showing any emotion at all! Something about this was really bothering Corin.

"I've just worked up enough money to start a new dig, just outside Cairo. I'm aiming high this time Eve, we're looking for Hamunaptra. We've got a wonderful guide, and I really think this could be it. I'm actually flying out tomorrow to look over the site. Exciting business. I'm as giddy as a school boy honestly." Corin felt he looked the exact opposite of giddy. In fact, his tone and body language indicated that he was quite thoroughly bored with the whole endeavor. Then something odd happened, Corin watched her aunt's face drain of color. Eve actually looked as though she were genuinely scared for some reason.

"Oh, well that's fabulous Viktor, really, good luck and all that. O Corin dear, look at the time, we really must run and look, it's our turn in line. Wonderful to see you Viktor!" With that she hurriedly pulled Corin up to the checkout. Viktor Odlethorpe looked confused (and a little angry in Corin's opinion) at their sudden departure. The last thing he said as he walked out of the shop was directed at Corin.

As he walked out, he happened to notice her shoes, sitting on the checkout counter. His brow furrowed, and his eyes grew strangely hard. Finally, he looked up, right into Corin's eyes and said, "What…_interesting_ …shoes…" and with that he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note: I do not own, nor do I claim any rights to the film _The Mummy. _All characters, plot, and ideas belong to the nice writers. I do however own Corin Carnahan, Lydia Carnahan, and Viktor Odlethorpe so far. Steal them and die. Sorry this one is so short.

&$#&#!?

"Rick, we must do _something_! We haven't any time to waste! We need to go now!" Eve O'Connell yelled at her husband, her arms glued to her sides, her fists balled up in pure rage.

"Eve! That's our problem! We always _must_ do this, or _must_ do that! The Medjai know what to do, so why don't we let them do their job. You know, the one they've been doing for _3,000_ _years_!" Rick yelled back. His arms were waving about, with no clear purpose.

"O honestly, be sensible!"

Corin felt silly, not to mention guilty, crouching in the stairwell of her aunt and uncle's house trying to follow their argument. She didn't really consider this ease dropping, seeing as you could hear the two throughout the house. What had begun as a hushed conversation behind closed doors had slowly risen in volume to its current state. A free for all. Still, although she could hear them well enough, she could barley make heads or tails of what they were saying.

There was something about a mummy, and a place called the Bay of Ardeth or something to that affect, and a considerable bit about that place Viktor Odlethorpe had mentioned, Hamunaptra, and the young Egyptologist himself. Apparently Viktor's obvious dislike of her uncle was mutual, as Rick had nothing good to say about the man.

"That stupid bloody obnoxious git, he's a spoiled rotten brat, always getting his way with daddies money and sticking his twitchy little nose in places he has no business being!"

"Don't be childish Rick, don't let a silly grudge send a man to failure and death!"

Corin missed Rick's retort because at that moment the doorbell rang. With a start she rushed back into her room, shutting the door behind her as quietly as she could. Leaping into the bed she pulled up the covers and rolled on her side, pretending she was asleep.

"Hullo Eve! And Rick! You're all red in the face my good man, I hope I'm not interrupting anything-" Corin smiled to herself, hearing her Uncle Jonathans voice come drifting up from the landing.

"O hush Jonathan, Corin's asleep. And don't trail mud on my carpet. Rick, come to think of it, will you go check on Corin? I worry about her nightmares." A few moments later, her door cracked open letting in a beam of light. Corin could see her uncle peer into her room, and then, apparently deciding that everything was as it should be, he shut the door again. After waiting a few moments, she crawled out of bed and back to her vantage point in the stairwell.

"Sound asleep Eve. No sign of nightmares." Rick reported.

"O good. We'll need to check again later, before we go to bed. Poor dear. Now Jonathan, we have something very important to discuss with you. It's about you-know-who and you-know-where."

"You-know-who-know-what?"

"O honestly Jonathan," Eve paused, then continued in a softer voice, "Imhotep you dolt! And Hamunaptra! Someone is going looking for it, for him. We have a choice. We either go back to Cairo and at least warn the Medjai or-"

"Or," Rick cut in darkly, "or we stay here and mind our own business."

"Well now, that is a tough place, isn't it?" Jonathan mused. "And I'm the tie breaker am I? So either way one of you is mad at me."

"There's no question. We need to go." Eve persisted stubbornly.

"And what about our lives Eve!?" Rick cried angrily, "What about your job, or mine? We can't just drop everything and run off to Egypt no matter how much _you_ want to go! We have responsibilities here! Please, listen to reason!"

"Some things are more important than responsibilities Rick!" she protested.

"And what about Corin, Eve? You know, your niece, the one who's suffering from nightmares so bad she won't even talk about them! The one who just lost her mother, your sister who you never knew! Or did you just forget about that little detail?" There was silence before Rick went on, much more gently; "We owe it to that girl to be here for her, when she needs us most. I'm sorry Eve, this just won't work."

Corin shut her eyes, willing the pain to go away. _I ruin everything. I'm ruining their lives, their marriage. I'm already causing problems and I've barley been here a month. _Not for the first time, she wished she didn't have nightmares that sent her reeling. She wished Lydia had never died, so she would never have disturbed the O'Connell's quiet comfortable lives. She wished she could deal with her grief and move on for her aunt and uncle's sake as well as her own.

"O Rick," Eve murmured. She sounded close to tears. Someone sighed heavily.

"Let's-let's talk about this in the morning. We're all tired and crabby, and this arguing will get us nowhere. Jonathan, you're welcome to stay the night here. You know where the guest bedroom is." Rick finally said. "Come here Eve, no more tears, I hate it when you cry. We'll get this all sorted out."

"Right," Eve sniffled. "Tomorrow, I've had quite enough discussion for one night."

"G'night," Jonathan called.

Corin scampered back into her room and curled up in her bed, trying to pretend that the tears in her eyes weren't really there. Now, more than any other time, she missed Lydia. She missed everything that had been normal and consistent in her life. She promised herself she would look up 'Hamunaptra' and 'Bay of Ardeth' the next day it the O'Connell's extensive library .


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note: I do not own nor do I claim any rights to the film _The Mummy_, which belongs to Universal Studio's and Stephan Summers. I do own Corin Carnahan, Lydia Carnahan, Viktor Odlethorpe, and Walter B. Gysman. Steal them and die.

&!?$#

Corin was back in the hallway, staring at the girl Rhodopis again. She was in the same position as her last visit, balled up in the center of the cell, sobbing, her face obscured by her hair. Although nothing told her so, Corin knew that this was a different day than her previous visits. It was just as hot, just as cramped and filthy as she remembered, and the moans and wails of the other prisoners were just as loud and hopeless, yet Corin knew inexplicably that time, perhaps several days, had passed.

Suddenly the doors at the far end of the hallway swung open, smashing into the wooden wall with a biting slam. The wailing increased, becoming a deafening roar. A full troop of armed me marched down the narrow passage, opening cells and herding the occupants out. They carried whips and clubs, and if someone was deemed to be moving too slowly the troops were vicious in their cruelty. At first Corin was afraid they would see her and she would fall victim to their senseless wrath and hate, but their eyes slipped past her unseeing.

She lost Rhodopis in the crowd, which was rapidly becoming blurry and unclear. Hurriedly she pushed her way forward with the crowd, scanning the masses for her girl. As she moved forward things reverted to their normal state, with no more blurring. Bursting out onto the deck, Corin spotted her ahead being herded off the gangplank. There was a huge crowd massed on the wharf, standing around a rickety looking platform. People were yelling and shouting and laughing, pointing at the sad assortment of humans being brought down the plank.

_Slaves…_Corin realized, _these people are slaves…_

Somehow she managed to make her way up to the platform. I the center stood an important looking man who seemed to be presiding over the event. He strutted about the stage yelling things to the crowd, prices and pitches most likely. Systematically the guards dragged groups of screaming slaves onto the platform where they were displayed one by one and sold. It was sickening to watch.  
Rhodopis was quickly dragged onto the platform. The guards seized her roughly and forced her onto the viewing block. Her hair was still covering her face and Corin could see her shaking with fear as people screamed out bids.

Corin couldn't bear to watch any longer. It was a sickening display. The world span around her and she sank to her knees, unable to support her legs any more. It was all too much. Bile rose in her throat and her eyes watered. It was too awful, too terrible to watch any more of. Her eyes burned with tears, her throat felt dry and cracked, and her head throbbed. She felt physically ill. Hunching over she wretched, gagging, but there was nothing to throw up. What a horrible, horrible place! Who could do this to their fellow humans? She gagged again.

"Are you alright dear?" A hand touched her shoulder, and Corin looked up startled. The last thing she saw was a king face smiling sympathetically down at her.

_He can…he can see me!_

_&#$#$#!!? _

Hamunaptra- The ancient Egyptian city of the dead, thought to be located somewhere in the desert outside Thebes. Considered to be the final resting place of the Book of the Dead, many have perused Hamunaptra vainly. None have succeeded. Most recorded information on Hamunaptra was written during the 19th dynasty, under the rule of Seti I. Seti was said to have stored the wealth of Egypt there, a belief that was fueled by the loss of countless priceless artifacts after his reign. Ramses II never recorded anything on the city or the missing gold. It is assumed that many of the missing treasures were melted down during Ramses rule. With little historical information and almost no solid evidence, most historians write Hamunaptra off as a myth.

Bay of Ardeth- Located on the coast of Argentina, The Bay of Ardeth is known for its pristine white sand beaches and clear blue waters. It is also the summer home of famous writer and historian Walter B. Gysman. _See Gysman, Walter B…Page 394_

Gysman, Walter B.- Born in 1900, Walter Gysman is known worldwide for his contributions to the world of archeology. His discoveries include, the tomb of Pharaoh Amasis in 1918 and the headdress of the high priests of Ra. Although he donated most of his findings to museums, he kept his most amazing find for himself, the fabled Rose Red Slippers. He currently resides in a beach home on the Bay of Ardeth, Argentina. _See Myth: Rose Red Slippers…Page 264_

_&!?$$! _

Corin had been researching for hours, pouring over the books in the O'Connell/Carnahan library with little success. Apparently Hamunaptra was a fictional place and the Bay of Ardeth was a vacation hotspot where some crusty old historian lived. Basically, Viktor Odlethorpe was searching for a place that historians believed did not exist. A fool's errand. _So why should it matter if he goes looking? He won't find anything right? And what do aunt Eve and uncle Rick know about this place that could make it so important to stop him? _

She glanced at her clock. 10:45pm. It was late, and Corin wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep, but unfortunately she had other things to finish first. Namely, packing. After lengthily discussion it had been decided she, Corin, would be accompanying Eve and Rick to Egypt for an "errand".

Sighing, she dragged out her suitcase and started dumping clothes and books in, glad for the first time that aunt Eve had insisted she buy those boots. It looked like she would be needing them after all.

#$$$&($

"Corin, time to wake up!" Eve called, rapping on her nieces door. It was 6:45 am. "Corin?" Eve carefully opened the door and walked in. Her niece was sound asleep, curled up tightly in her blankets. Eve smiled, but it was mingled with some sadness. It was clear the poor girl had been up all night. She sighed, tearing her gaze from Corin, sleeping so sweetly. It was then some books sitting on the desk caught her eye. _Egypt: A Conclusive History, The Encyclopedia Britannia, Vacation Hotspots: Argentina, Mummies Curses and More, _were all splayed out over her desk, various pages marked and pages of notes littered the area. One glance told Eve that they couldn't take for granted that Corin would not ask questions about this last minuet trip. She would need to know everything, from Rick and her, before she got the story from someone else.


	6. Chapter 6

Authors Note: I do not own, nor do I claim any right to any ideas, merchandise, or characters from Stephan Sommers film _The Mummy_. No infringement intended. I do however own Corin Carnahan, Lydia Carnahan, Viktor Odlethorpe, and Walter B. Gysman. You steal, you die,

Moving on, I'd like to take a moment to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys make my day and keep me writing. Kudos to: Red Moon, SKYE-07, Nelle07, Jen, and Estoria. You guys are the greatest. Special thanks to The Mechanical Hogmonkey, who keeps me on my toes and gives me support when I need it most. You are amazing. Thanks again, and enjoy the chapter! K.

#&&(&!#

It turned out that traveling to Egypt wasn't nearly as much fun as Corin had expected. The first train had been so old that she'd been afraid to board it. The whole way, they'd been jolted and flung around making sleeping, and reading for that matter, utterly impossible. And Corin's first experience on a ship hadn't been much better. Corin had discovered that, as a result of her nightmares, she got dreadfully seasick; effectively ruining the whole voyage. The whole journey had been a conglomeration of sore rumps and, as uncle Jonathan said, "Blowing chunks."

Currently, Corin was balled up in her bunk trying to take her mind off of the constant rocking and swaying of the ship and wishing she'd brought those books with her. Not that she needed them any more, after her chat with Eve, but they were still interesting to read. Thinking back over the conversation, she felt a blush grow in her cheeks. _Why must I always get everything wrong? "The Bay of Ardeth" huh? You bozo. _How Eve had laughed. She'd just finished explaining all about her adventures in Hamunaptra with the Medjai and uncle Rick when Corin asked the question.

"So what does that have to do with Argentina?"

"Excuse me, _Argentina_? Where on earth did you get that from?" Eve had asked her, absolutely puzzled.

"I heard you talking about a place, The Bay of Ardeth, that's in Argentina. I looked it up. A famous archeologist lives there. Where does that come in?"

"The-the B-bay of Ardeth? The Bay of Ardeth! In A-argentina! Ha!" She'd howled, almost crying she was laughing so hard. "The Bay of Ardeth!" Corin had felt herself blushing fiercely as her aunt cackled away, obviously finding something absolutely hysterical. "My dear girl, we weren't talking about _The Bay of Ardeth_, we were talking about _Ardeth Bay_! He's the leader of the Medjai, the person we're going to warn. The Bay of Ardeth, just wait until we tell Rick!" Of course after much pleading from her niece, Eve had been convinced not to tell Rick, or anyone for that matter.

Corin wasn't sure how she felt about the story. She didn't know what to make of all this talk about mummies curses and ancient loves. The logical part of her, the part that had paid the bills for so many years, the part that had kept her off of the streets, refused to believe any of it. It dragged her kicking and screaming from all the magic of eternal love and past lives, and back into the solid world of the tangible. However, some small part of her wanted, desperately almost, to believe. It wanted to accept, without question, the tale her aunt had laid before her. But it was small, and easily overruled.

It just couldn't be true. Right?

All in all, she wasn't sure what to feel about all of this. There was too much she didn't

know, too much she couldn't dream of understanding to make any sense of what was

being given to her now. Why would her aunt and uncle lie to her? What reason could they

possibly have for it? Groaning, Corin tried to go back to sleep and forget her troubles for the time being. Burying her head in her pillow, she blocked out all thoughts of mummies and curses for the time being and focused on rest. Within minuets, she was asleep.

$&#&&

Telegram For: Mr. Ardeth Bay, Commander of the Twelve Tribes

From: Rick and Evelyn O'Connell, friends, Miss Corin Carnahan, friend of friends, and Mr. Jonathan Carnahan, also a friend.

Message: Ardeth, we are on our way now stop. We hope to meet you at the Cairo Museum at 6:45 today stop. We have important news to share stop. We've brought Jonathan and our niece Corin stop. She has been told everything stop.

Hoping to find you well stop.

Eve & Rick O'Connell, Corin Carnahan, and Jonathan Carnahan

&&($$!!!?

Ardeth Bay carefully folded the telegram he had just read into quarters and tucked it away in his side pouch. Part of him was worried about the O'Connell's returning to Egypt, and the other more prominent part rejoiced. He wasn't a mean man, nor was he harsh, but he was serious and he did expect things to get done, qualities which, while earning him respect, made him few friends. The O'Connell's were among the few he actually counted among his true friends, people he trusted more than he suspected they knew. He was glad to be able to see them again.

One thing that confused him was the mention of a niece. He's never known Evelyn and Jonathan had had a sister or brother. And even if they did, why bring her now? Ardeth shook his head. He would be finding out soon enough as it was. Shaking his head, he tried to focus on the two-hour journey to Cairo. He would need his wits about him in the desert heat, and he was muddled enough as already from lack of sleep. He had no time for thoughts about the layout of the nuclear family of the Carnahan's.

Mounting his great black steed, he exited the village from the back_. No sense in causing a disturbance. _It almost made him sick to see his people's smiles, to hear their cheers. He had so much to live up to. Too much. And with that knowledge came the fear, his greatest and only fear, the fear of letting them down. Nothing, no one, no matter how dear could ever be as important to him as his people. No one.

And what's worse, the nightmares had gotten unbearably bad.

$&&)($

Corin drank in everything she could as she walked down the gangplank, trying to see and smell and hear everything at once. The air was filled with voices, as many different languages as faces. And the smell, the smell was amazing. Something spicy and strong filled the air. Everything was full and crowded and perfect. It was fresh, it was tender, and it was exotic. This was Egypt.


	7. Chapter 7

Authors Note: I do not own, nor do I claim any rights to the film _The Mummy_ which is owned by Universal Studios and Stephan Sommers. No infringement intended. Please, don't sue. I do however own Corin Carnahan, Lydia Carnahan, Viktor Odlethorpe, and Walter B. Gysman. I kind of own The Pharaoh Amasis, his character at least. Enjoy!

O, and sorry this took so long to post, I'll try to update again as quickly as I can!

$&&)($#$&(&(

The Cairo Museum closed promptly at 7:00, much to Corin's disappointment, so her visit to the fabled collection would simply have to wait. She'd wanted to just venture inside and see what she could before closing, but Eve had been insistent that such a jaunt would not do anything justice and that it was better to wait. After taking their bags to the hotel, Eve had led them to the museum where they were currently splayed across a small alcove nestled in the side of the building, waiting. Corin wasn't sure exactly what they where waiting for, nobody had said anything, but she felt sure they were in fact waiting for someone. Eve and Rick's friend.

At exactly 6:45pm, a black shroud materialized out of nowhere, from somewhere deep in the shadowed streets. The man, for Corin realized that the mysterious wraith like shroud was in fact a man, was dressed from head to toe in black and twin blades were barley visible at his sides. His trappings obscured his face, on purpose Corin guessed. He was tall, imposing, and altogether frightening. He was walking down the crowded street, weaving impatiently through the crowd, heading straight for the museum. As he approached, Corin realized with panic that there could be no question of his destination.

He was coming right to them.

"Eve, maybe we should go," Corin said nervously. "The museum is closing soon, you said so yourself. We should clear out. Go back to the hotel." She continued to eye the stranger in black. He was getting closer now, walking faster. _He must have seen us! _

"Don't be silly Corin. We're perfectly fine just sitting here. And we certainly don't want to miss him. Be patient, he'll be here any minuet." Eve responded. He was definitely walking faster now, b-lining for their shaded alcove.

"I think we should go!" Corin said frantically, "Now!" He was only four paces from the steps and Corin could see he was taller and broader than she'd originally thought. She was now painfully aware of those swords and the fact that they were cornered.

"Don't be silly! Just sit down; it won't be long now-" Corin gave a small gasp of fear, he was almost upon them. "O look, here he is!" Whatever Corin had expected she could never have imagined what happened next, as Rick jumped up and…_hugged the man? _She couldn't believe her eyes; her uncle was hugging the dangerous looking stranger with the swords. Quickly, the man hugged Eve as well, slapped Jonathan on the back, and nodded politely at Corin.

"We must hurry, I may have been followed. Inside, if you please."

$#&&#

Nothing Corin's brain could have conjured up, no matter how extraordinary, could have even come near what Ardeth Bay turned out to be. He was impressively tall, a good 6 inches above Corin and a good 3 above even Rick, and strong too, Corin could see once her removed some of his wrappings. He was constantly alert, his big brown eyes seemed to miss nothing and it seemed to Corin he resembled a spring, wound up tight, waiting to jump into action at a moments notice. But all these things she'd been expecting. What she hadn't expected was the gentleness she saw as he dealt with Eve's excited fawning, the subtle intelligence she saw in his eyes far beyond the brutish smarts of a warrior as he spoke, or the kindness he showed through her own embarrassing introduction.

"We have urgent news for you Ardeth," Eve whispered even though there was no chance of them being overheard, "about Hamunaptra. Someone's planning a dig. The man in charge's name is Viktor Odlethorpe, he's a determined individual, he'll never give up on this, and he claims to have guide that's been there."

"Ah yes, I know of whom you speak. He arrived two days ago with a large group of workers to begin excavation. We've been keeping tabs on his movements and the locations of his digs. He's at least 3km off for now. It seems," here Ardeth smiled, "someone has been tampering with his instruments. Such a shame."

Rick snorted, "See Eve, the man knows his business. The Medjai have it covered. They don't need us to come save the day."

"Actually," Ardeth spoke quietly, "if you know this man, this…Odlethorpe, perhaps you could speak with him, try to…discourage his continuing with the dig, persuade him to go home. It would make things much simpler if he left on his own accord…rather than the alternative…" He trailed off ominously while Eve smiled triumphantly and Rick groaned.

#&&&)&$#

Viktor Odlethorpe was dreaming, of this he felt sure. In real life there were no golden halls, filled with treasures beyond compare. In real life there were no gilt thrones or majestic headdresses. In real life, he supposed, he was lying over his papers, having fallen asleep at his desk. No, he was fairly certain he was dreaming.

The room he was in was giant, bigger than anywhere he'd ever been. There were huge pillars supporting what appeared to be a mammoth slab of rock, which served as a roof. Each one was painted, and covered in hieroglyphics. And gold, he noticed, there seemed to be an abundance of gold in this strange hall. The pillars were fresh, with no chips or cracks in the workmanship. They were like nothing you could see in real life, because real life involved time and its bitter decay. This was Egypt, as it had been once, before time corroded it.

The focal point of his dream was the man in the golden throne. With fascination and horror, he looked into the face of this man from long ago. What he saw there, with all the same malice and greed, was his own reflection looking unseeingly back.

"Bring her to me. Now."

A servant scurried from the hall, off to fetch whomever this, this powerful, regal man wanted. Whoever he was, he was important. He was rich. He was ambitious and he was feared. It seemed clear to Viktor that he was looking at his own past self. _Surely, if I was this man once I can be as powerful, as great, as he, as I was then, now. _

Then he saw her. The most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She had long dark hair and fair skin, probably half Greek. Her eyes were green, wild and untamed and her lips were soft and pink. Her feet were wrapped in rose red slippers that complimented her dainty form well. She was short, even by the standard of the day. Strangely, she looked vaguely familiar, although he couldn't place her face. _This must be the wife of my noble spirit, the soul mate I'm meant to find in every lifetime. _There was only one thing wrong with his theory, the girl was weeping at the sight of him. And these were no tears of joy.

"Please, please Amasis I beg you, release me!" She was kneeling before the massive throne, her eyes glued to her lap as if she refused to look at the man before her. He rose and moved beside her, gently pulling her to her feet although she still refused to meet his eyes.

"Silence Rhodopis. You will see, soon. We are meant to be together, our souls, forever. You will see, and you will thank me." His tone was gentle, almost dreamy. But her next words brought him right out of his fantasy.

"No, no! I cannot! Don't you see? I cannot love you!" His face contorted into anger in a heartbeat. In his fury Amasis hand shot up by it's own accord as if to strike the girl, who flinched back. He caught himself though. Taking deep breaths he struggled to calm down.

"My poor sweet, do you see what you've almost made me do?" he touched her cheek tenderly and Rhodopis flinched back. "You're words strike me harder than I could ever strike you. You will come to love me my darling, my Rhodopis. You will see." The girl continued to weep. "You will forget all about Xanthos, the fool, and all the love in your heart will be mine alone."

"No, no," she retorted angrily. "My Xanthos will come for me. He is my heart and my soul. Never, in all the ages of this world could I love you. Not in this life, not in the next." Amasis's face took a sinister tint as he responded.

"We shall see about that my sweet, never is a very long time." He smiled cruelly before continuing, "And as for Xanthos, your lover is dead Rhodopis."


	8. Chapter 8

Authors Note: I do not own nor do I claim any rights or affiliations to any of the ideas, characters, plot, or merchandise presented in the film _The Mummy_. The film is owned by Stephan Sommers and Universal Studios. No infringement intended, so please don't sue. I do own the characters Corin Carnahan, Lydia Carnahan, Viktor Odlethorpe, Walter B. Gysman, Pharaoh Amasis, and Xanthos. Steal them and die.

$#(&)#&$#&$

The Desert Pearl Hotel was a swanky place, so much so that Corin felt very out of place. She felt silly wearing the expensive dress and high heals Eve had bought her in London. She wasn't used to being looked at like an adult, to be noticed at all by the opposite sex. Back in France it had always been her mother who received attention, with her beautiful form and exotic looks. Corin had always felt second rate next to Lydia. How strange it felt now, to be thrust into the adult world so suddenly.

Thankfully, Eve was a constant source of comfort and reassurance while Rick stood overprotective at their backs, watchful and alert.

Upon calling Viktor Odlethorpe at his posh Hotel suite Eve had managed to set up a casual lunch in the Hotel's restaurant. When she'd said 'casual' Corin had taken it for granted that a simple outfit would be sufficient, but Eve had assured her that nothing less than the most formal clothes would be suitable in this situation. Corin could now see why. No one in the room was wearing anything that would seem out of place at a wedding.

Viktor Odlethorpe wasted no time in ordering for them all some spicy dish whose name Corin couldn't even pronounce. He even went so far as to order everyone, including her, a big glass of red wine. Once settled, he dominated the conversation so much that Eve could barley get a word in edgewise. It wasn't until desert that the topic of his dig could even be brought up, despite Eve's noblest attempts.

"So Viktor, you've been simply been awful, avoiding the topic you know I'm most interested in. Indulge me; you know how much I love information on the latest digs. Have you found anything yet, have you found anything at all?" Eve sat forward in her seat, waiting most impatiently for a reply. Viktor sighed deeply and settled further back in his chair, looking bemused. But Corin noticed a definite bitterness in his composure.

"Leave it to you Evelyn, to hit upon the topic I'd hoped to avoid. I'm embarrassed now.

Here I'd boasted so about my intentions and I have nothing to show you! Alas, what is it they say, something about 'pride coming before the fall'?" Eve hesitated, to be sure she had heard right.

"Nothing? Forgive me if I'm remembering incorrectly, but didn't you say you had a guide? Ah but it's still early, we must have more patience I think." Viktor laughed.

"I'm quite discourage really, we've been digging for weeks on the site the guide led us to and we've found nothing. Not one little fragment of pottery or a single trinket some lady tossed out her window, much less a tomb. I'm quite ready to turn in the towel and go home honestly, leave the discoveries to some other lucky fellow." Eve pounced.

"Now you mustn't be discouraged, greater men than you have wasted years in the pursuit of Hamunaptra. Personally, I think it's only a myth. Many of the Bembridge scholars have concluded quite definitively that the whole story is a farce created by the Arabic traders in 1645-" As she was talking, Eve discretely nudged Corin's foot. Show time. Dabbing her mouth with the napkin she excused herself from the table to use the restroom.

For the plan, Corin had been recruited to be the carrier of information. Her job was to listen to every word Viktor Odlethorpe uttered, judge his reactions, and at Eve's signal she was to serve as the currier of information to the Leader of the Twelve Tribes. The idea was that Ardeth would somehow be waiting for her in the third stall of the woman's bathroom. There she would relay the jist of the conversation to him so he could make plans for immediate action on the part of the Medjai. The ladies restroom was completely deserted when she walked in. It was kind of creepy, the whole place empty and elevator music playing over the intercom. All the stalls were notched open symmetrically. All of them except the third stall from the end. Feeling rather silly, she knocked twice on the door.

"Ardeth?" The stall door opened, revealing the Medjai leader. Despite the critical nature of the 'mission' (which Ardeth himself had stressed upon her) he was grinning like a fool. Apparently the novelty of the situation was not lost on him.

"Won't you come in?" he asked, gesturing into the stall. Once she was inside, he closed the door again and bolted it. They both paused, listening, and then Corin began her retelling of the dinner conversation. She did her best to recite the conversations accurately and gave her own observations as to the Englishman's countenance. At times she felt utterly embarrassed, Ardeth's piercing gaze making her nervous about making an error. It didn't help that the stall was very small, forcing her closer to the Medjai leader than she had ever been.

"He seems bitter, and I doubt he will give up at once. But a few more weeks of a wild goose chase and he'll call it quits. He's frustrated by the lack of results. Equally, if he finds anything, anything at all pertaining to Hamunaptra, he'll never leave. Just one piece of pottery would be enough to convince him he is close to success." Ardeth nodded, and seemed about to reply when the restroom door swung open. In a flash, he was crouching on the toilet seat. He held a finger to his lips. The women used the restroom and proceeded to check their make up in the mirror for a lengthily time, all the while chatting up a storm. One of them finally left, while the other claimed she wanted to fix some smudge. The door swung open then shut again. There was a deathly silence in the room, aside from the clicking of the woman's heels. When she spoke, it took both of them by surprise.

"If anyone would dare attempt to ruin the plans of the great and mighty Pharaoh, and keep him from coming into his destiny, they might be warned. Such…treason will not be taken lightly. These people might be wary of continuing their plans, lest someone get…hurt." With that she exited the bathroom. Ardeth held up a hand for silence. After a moment, he spoke gravely.

"I do not know what this means, but it troubles me. 'The Pharaoh' must be Odlethorpe, though why they would call him that…" he shook his head. "When you deem it safe, tell Eve and Rick that I will meet them at their hotel room. Speak not a word about this encounter; I do not trust this place. Hasten them to leave if you can." Corin nodded and tried to pretend that she wasn't afraid. He must have noticed though, because he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You have been very brave tonight, though I fear more will be asked of you before this mystery resolves itself. Do not let your courage waver. I will not let any harm befall you." With that he gently pushed her out from the stall with one last smile for the road. Suddenly, she felt less afraid with the knowledge he would be taking care of her family and herself.

#)&)(?$#$

Ardeth waited until Corin had left the room before pushing over the toilet itself revealing a passageway below it. It was a common local tale, how the third toilet in the woman's restroom at the most expensive joint in town never worked. Some went so far as to say it was cursed. If only they knew. Placing the 'Out of Order' sign back on the toilet he lowered himself down and pulled the toilet back in place, leaving no trace of the meeting that had just taken place there.

The tunnels under Cairo were shrouded in history and blood. They were built in the early 1600's running from almost every building in the old district and coming to an apex at the museum. They were built as an escape route for curators and other citizens in the case of an attack from hostile neighbors. Currently they were forgotten and written off as a myth from a more romantic era. The true tunnel was actually carved out in the 19th dynasty and ran from the palace, through the city, and into the desert. Again, an early escape route. Many had been killed down here, in the frantic flight to escape. People trampled under foot and left for dead in the dark inclosing tomb.

It was with no pleasure Ardeth used them now, but necessity forced him to utilize them. His feet stirred up dirt and years of dust from the floor. A torch and means to light it had been left for him earlier, a small comfort here. The ancient bloodstains were still visible, in splatters on the floor and handprints on the walls. The sooner he got out, the better he would feel.

How someone had found them in the restroom wasn't too much of a mystery. If someone had been watching, they would have seen Corin take far too long to be simply using the bathroom, knowing that she was dining with Mr. Odlethorpe. And then, it was common knowledge that the third stall was "broken" so the telltale feet in there must have spoken volumes. Then a grisly warning and quick exit. Someone was trying very hard to get Viktor Odlethorpe into Hamunaptra, perhaps even without his knowing. _Coming into his destiny? _Viktor Odlethorpe was a pawn in a greater scheme. Ardeth supposed he had some inkling as to what was happening, but how much he did or didn't know…they couldn't count on him to protect himself. There was something sinister taking place here. And it was his job to figure out what.


	9. Chapter 9

Authors Note: I do not own nor do I claim any rights to any plot, characters, or ideas affiliated with the film _The Mummy_, which is the property of Stephan Sommers and the nice people at Universal Studios. No infringement intended, so please don't sue. I do own Corin Carnahan, Lydia Carnahan, Viktor Odlethorpe, and Walter B. Gysman, Xanthos, and for all intensive purposes The Pharaoh Amasis. Steal and die.

$&)((&$#$? 

Viktor had been pleased with the invitation to dine with Eve Carnahan O'Connell and had not even minded the inclusion of her niece who had turned out quite pleasant, although the same could not be said for her meathead husband and gangly brother. In fact, the prospect of civilized conversation after a month of primitive phrases and much gesticulation had seemed almost too good to be true. Yet as pleasant as the evening had been, he something was nagging at the corners of his brain.

Eve was talking animatedly about some dig she'd been to down south and who she'd met and what they'd found, her niece was listening graciously while Rick and Jonathan appeared to be close to dozing off. There was something too familiar about Eve and he silent niece. Something different than the usual familiarity one experiences with an acquaintance. This was something very new, something from deeper in the recesses of his mind. He stared harder, completely zoning out Eve's story. _That face_! Suddenly he knew. He stared, aghast at the aunt and her niece.

"Viktor? Are you quite alright?" Forcing himself to regain composure, he shook his head and claimed he'd zoned out, dispelling the looks of discomfort for the moment. _How could I not have seen it before?_ Eve reluctantly continued talking. Still looking back and forth between Eve and Corin, he wondered what to do. It was clear that one of these women was the girl, Rhodopis, from his visions. The problem was... _which on was it_?

&(&(&#&(? !

After a staggering seven courses and a hefty slice of chocolate cake Corin felt stuffed to the brim. It was hard to be afraid of mysterious messages in expensive restaurants bathrooms when so full and content. The after dinner glow of good food and good conversation surrounded the company for a few silent moments before Jonathan yawned and rose from his seat. Immediately, Corin, Eve, and Rick followed suit, thanking Viktor and bidding him goodnight.

Corin noted that he'd been acting strange since her return from the bathroom (thankfully, no one commented on how long she'd been gone). To be certain, his manners had never wavered, but he lost seemed to have lost all of his aloof uncaring nature. Suddenly, Eve's every word seemed to demand his attention, and to her surprise the few times she talked she was given the same relentless fixation. Rick seemed to notice as well, for he had looked uncomfortable throughout. Viktor's attentions had been rapt, unwavering, and strange for a man so removed as himself. He'd almost seemed angry when Rick or Jonathan had dared to contribute.

However safe and secure she felt seated between her aunt and uncle, leaving the cozy restaurant was a wake up call for Corin. Suddenly every shadow was a frightening specter waiting to leap forward and attack. And worse, Ardeth and all of his promises were, by now, far away. The weight of her responsibilities returned in full force. She still needed to fill Rick, Eve, and Jonathan in on the bathroom conversation and the meeting arranged with the Leader of the Medjai. Nowhere seemed safe to disclose the events that had taken place in the bathroom. The woman, the one who had threatened them could be anywhere. Watching. Waiting. Her chance came when Viktor tried to persuade the to stay on for coffee.

"Come now Eve, Rick, stay a bit. The restaurant doesn't close until late; we can have some coffee and almost the entire place to ourselves. I insist, it's been too long since I've had such an opportunity for conversation." Why he, a man who had showed nothing but disdain for the whole group only several weeks prior, would want them to stay Corin couldn't fathom. _Maybe he cares more for us than his personality allows us to see_. But no time could be wasted.

"O dear," she interrupted, cutting in before Eve could answer, "such a shame we can't stay, of all the nights to have an engagement! What bad luck. But we mustn't keep our guest waiting Aunt Eve."

"O yes!" Rick interjected catching on. "I know how much you want to stay Eve, but this is the only time he can see us on our visit, and we shall be late now as it is. Wonderful to see you Viktor ol' boy! Give as a ring when you get back to London!" And with that he whisked Eve away before she could blow their cover.

Glancing back, Corin noticed that Viktor Odlethorpe had a most perplexing look on his face. Almost...distraught at the thought of them leaving. _Surely he can't be that upset?_ she mused. But from the look in his eyes you would have thought his heart was breaking.

#&(&$#&&()? !

Ardeth finally reached his destination, the door with the serpent etched crudely in it. That was the only way to distinguish what door you were exiting from in the tunnels. Every one, all the thousands on exits to the modern world, were marked with a symbol (mostly animals or occupational picture) to indicate whose house you were about to enter. They had no meaning now as most of the original structures they had led to were long gone, although enough were still usable to make the tunnels useful.

The serpent door led to the lobby of the Cairo Museum, a loose tile directly behind a bronze statue of Anubis. This was the closest working exit to the O'Connell's hotel, which was maybe two blocks away. He would arrive long before his friends, he was sure, giving him some time to plan. After all, it would not do for him not to have one when he spoke to them.

He sincerely hoped that Viktor Odlethorpe would leave on his own and abandon his dreams of finding the list city. He hoped that the situation might be resolved on its own. But he doubted that it would. Viktor Odlethorpe was there, in Egypt, for a bigger reason than gold and greed. A reason that was undoubtedly connected to the monster at Hamunaptra. A reason that chilled the battle scarred leader to the bone. It was all well and good to wish that things would turn out alright, but wishing never does any good.

The best plan of action, as far as he could see, was to wait just a little longer. The Medjai would continue to infiltrate the dig site, keeping the workers from any accidental discoveries and hope that Viktor Odlethorpe would give up from lack of success. Meanwhile, he would follow the lead provided unwittingly by the woman in the restroom. S_he...they, think that he is a Pharaoh reincarnated. But which one? And why do they suspect that it is him?_ He would have to do some research on Pharaoh's connected to Hamunaptra.There couldn't be that many closely related to the city, which had been "lost" soon after Ramses the II's rule.

One thing troubled the Medjai leader. If Viktor Odlethorpe were in fact a Pharaoh reincarnated, where did his loyalties and the loyalties of the Medjai lie? They were, after all, they body guards of the Pharaohs. Even in a new body, he would rightful have the entire legions of the Medjai at his beck and call. Their laws made the case sickeningly clear. If he ordered them to run each other through with swords, or massacre a village of people, or poison all the wells of Egypt they would have no choice but to do it. They would be bound by sacred duty to protect and defend him, no matter what, no matter from whom, even if it meant his own dear friends.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim any ownership or rights to any plot, ideas, characters, or merchandise relating to the film _The Mummy_, which is owned by Stephan Sommers and Universal Studios. No infringement intended, so please don't sue. I do own the original characters, steal them and die. Ye be warned.

Authors Note: Since school had started updates won't be as often. I'm sorry about the inconvenience, and I promise to update as often as I can. Thank-you so much for your patience. Without further ado, here is the next chapter.

$$#$&()(&$$#

Eve, Rick, Jonathan, and Corin rushed down the hall of the museum. No one said a word. No one needed to, and no one trusted themselves enough to even try. The passages were dark and deserted, the entire staff and all the tourists having left hours before. They all longed for the comforting fire and electric lights in the curator's office, along with the forcible presence of Ardeth at their backs. It had been a long night for everyone. Eve was trembling, so much that it took her a few fumbled tries to unlock the door.

But inside, it was a different world. A fire was burning comfortably in the hearth, the lights casting a familiar synthetic glow on the room. Instantly, the entire group sighed in relief, fears melting away for the time being. Nothing of the evening seemed nearly as awful here, so removed from the darkness of the world around them. Even Ardeth looked less frightening in the brightly lit room. Well, slightly.

The Medjai leader nodded as they entered. Eve was ready to begin gushing about how well everything had gone and how she was sure that Viktor would be packing off any day now. But one look at Ardeth silenced her. His face was dark, solemn, and vaguely upset. She knew at that moment that there would be no happy report tonight, no congratulations, so toasting, and no relief. Without saying anything, the whole room knew that there could be no good news.

"My friends." Ardeth began speaking at last. "My friends, I thank you for your help tonight. The Medjai are forever indebted to you." He bowed, offering a chance for a polite response, but no one could summon the proper words. After a moment he continued. "The events of tonight have convinced me that you are not safe in Egypt, not even under the protection of my people. I must ask that, after I have related to you all that I have learned tonight, you will seek to leave at once." Eve chocked, and Rick slapped her across the back. Still, no one spoke. He continued.

The whole story unfolded, Ardeth's voice never wavering, never changing pace. When he came to the part about the encounter in the bathroom Corin looked down blushing._ How embarrassing. Oh God don't blush! _ She tried to ignore the tightening of her uncle's grip on her shoulder and the cry of shock from her aunt. She couldn't bring herself to look up throughout the rest of his narrative.

"I have sent a message to the keeper of the hall of records. They will investigate all Pharaoh's with ties to Hamunaptra and send a list of possible matches. Knowing whom we're dealing with will make the proceedings easier I hope. We will be ready to keep the creature contained at all costs, although, Allah willing, things will not get that far."

"That's all very chilling, but I don't see why we need to go so soon," Eve said stubbornly. "And besides, the creature is our concern as well-"

"Dear, why don't we listen to the man, pack our bags and go back to England? We'll only be getting in the way now Eve. We did what we set out to do, now let's get the hell out of here." Rick cut in.

"Capitol idea!" Jonathan chimed in. "I'll go round up the bags-"

"Sit down Jonathan." Eve commanded. "We are not done talking about this."

"Remember the last time we didn't listen to Ardeth?" Rick demanded. "Let me refresh your memory, we got chased around by an undead mummy and nearly died! Why don't we try heeding him this time, just for the hell of it, and see what happens?"

"Oh come now, surely no harm can come of staying a little bit longer."

"Yes, just like no harm ever came from reading a book?"

"Please my friends!" Ardeth interjected. "I had hoped to avoid speaking of this, but to send you from this place I will chance telling you. The Medjai are bound by sacred law to obey the will of the Pharaoh's, without question and without mercy. Years ago, in the times of the first rulers, our ancestors swore a powerful oath to the God's that they would forever serve their Kings, in any life. Their promise extended to their kin, and all their future linage, binding those not even born to this promise. To break it would herald the end of the tribe. We cannot disobey an order directed knowingly from one, no matter what it is. We are slaves to the will of the Pharaohs, should he exert his power."

"That's a wonderful story Ardeth, but I'm afraid I don't see the point." Eve snapped. "The last Pharaoh's were killed thousands of years ago, the whole royal line wiped out. There is no one to fulfill your promise to." Rick looked pale, and Jonathan absolutely terrified.

"Eve, he said in any life…" Rick trailed off.

"No matter what…" Jonathan finished.

"Oh God." Eve whispered.

#$&()&!#

Viktor Odlethorpe was angry, really angry. _How stupid can I be? There she was, right in front of me and I didn't see it! Idiot! _He was certain now; one of the two women was the girl from his dreams, Rhodopis. The problem was, which one was it? They both had the same wavy dark hair, the same almond shaped eyes, the same full lips. They were too similar; there was no way to be sure.

_Eve_. She would make a perfect queen. Intelligent, beautiful, regal, she was made to play the part. How many years had he secretly adored her? How many years had he wished to make her smile and love him? Perhaps this attraction was the result of millennia of unfulfilled love and feelings. Maybe he was so drawn to her because of past connections. There was only one problem. _She's already married to that git O'Connell. _Frowning, he considered the other option.

_Corin_. He didn't know too much about her. It seemed certain that she was a shy girl, right in that awkward place on the cusp of becoming an adult and beyond that, nothing could be said for sure. She was too quiet to make him certain of her intelligence. _Could her silence be the result of modestly or ignorance? _She was attentive to her relations with the care of deep affection, but who knew if she had ever experienced true love. _I don't want some immature naïve child for a wife…_ But she was pretty enough, and in time she might even surpass her aunt in beauty. And behind the youthful blushes, he could see a care worn face and kind, keen eyes.

He needed to see them both again, as soon as possible. He would watch them, observe everything he could. There must be something, some trait that would reveal the true girl from the false one. It was only a matter of time.

"Someone to see you sir," the butler announced.

"Send them in." Viktor called without really looking. The door opened.

"Hello Mr. Odlethorpe." Viktor's eyes snapped up. _What the hell? _"I have something very important to tell you."

&()$!!#!&$$$

Corin looked out the window of the hotel room sadly, trying to soak up as much of Egypt as she could. It was already decided; they would be leaving in the morning. Ardeth, who had escorted them to their rooms, had promised that he would come to the docks with them to see them off. He'd also promised to write as soon as he got news for them. Part of Corin was sad to be going so quickly, she'd barley had time to see anything at all, and another part was relieved. As beautiful as everything here was, she couldn't help but look upon things darkly. Maybe she would be able to come back some day.

On the bright side, to make up for the botched trip, Eve had decided that they would stop in Paris on the way home. Corin was so excited to be going home, her real home. Paris was her air, her blood, her life. The city would be lovely at this time of year. But she also knew there was an exterior motive. Eve and Jonathan wanted to pay their respects to their sister's grave. She would be seeing Lydia again.


	11. Chapter 11

Authors Note: I do not own nor do I claim any affiliation to any plot, characters, merchandise, or ideas from the film _The Mummy_ which is owned by Stephan Sommers and the nice folks down at Universal Studios. No infringement intended, so please don't sue. Any other characters, original or otherwise, belong to me. Steal them and die.

#$(&#&(

_Dreaming _he told himself_ I'm dreaming. _There was some assurance in that thought, some comfort. At first, his nightmares had scared him senseless; he would go for days without sleep to avoid them until he passed out accidentally and had to face them anyway. Whatever he would see from here on out, it would be a dream and noting more. It wasn't as bad anymore. _Normal people don't dream about themselves in third person._

He was ready when he saw the man, Xanthos. He was prepared to see his own face, his own body, among the time warped surroundings of ancient Egypt. Usually he saw the man die, or saw him being tortured or something equally awful. He was ready to be appalled, shocked, and upset, to wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night panting and gasping for breath, clutching his throat as though it were the one being cut off. That was usual. But tonight was different.

Xanthos was there, but looking much more healthy than usual. Not bleeding, bruised, and obviously heart broken. In fact he looked, happy…expectant even. Ardeth followed him down the hallway of where ever he was (he'd learned quickly that you had to stay with the person in order to see). The man paused, looked both ways down the empty hallway checking for any onlookers, eyes skimming right over Ardeth, before ducking into a wooden doorway. Ardeth quickly followed.

What he saw inside was a definite surprise.

Xanthos appeared to be in the tight embrace of a young woman. And he wasn't trying to get out. Their arms were wrapped tightly around each other, each lost in the throws of passion, as though they had been parted for too long. It was so intimate, so perfectly beautiful, that Ardeth felt like an intruder for butting in on their special moment. At long last they parted, reluctantly, cursing the necessity that was breathing.

"My darling." Xanthos murmured. "My beautiful love. Too long has it been since I have seen your face." He touched her cheek, drawing her closer, as if afraid that she might disappear if he were to let her go.

"Do not speak of our separation now, tomorrow will bring enough of that." She whispered. "Tonight let me have my love with no regret, no worries for the future. Tonight I would not think on what the future brings for all the riches of the world. Let me have tonight and I shall suffer the length and width of our parting with joy, if only for its memory." Xanthos smiled tenderly, kissing her again. _Where have I heard that voice? _

"You shall have your night. Not a word of tomorrow shall pass my lips; save to promise you that it is yours alone. Come my love." Xanthos stepped aside to guide her over to the guilt bed, allowing Ardeth a view of the girls face. He gasped in shock. _It can't be! _But it was. Ardeth closed his eyes, refusing to see more.

"Let me see no more of this!" he pleaded to no one. "Let me awake!" Xanthos was speaking again now, sickeningly tender, each word saturated with deep felt love. There could be no denying it, how in love he was. But what did that mean for Ardeth? _Oh Allah I can't! I can't! _

"Come to bed, my precious Rhodopis."

$&(&)($)()

Viktor sat at his desk, angry, upset, and frustrated. There'd been no progress at the dig sight, again, and he'd gotten no response from the note that he'd sent Eve at the hotel. It had been, by all accounts a bad day, and to treat himself he was indulging in a glass of port by the fire side with nothing to distract him from his woes. There was a knock on the door, and the elderly butler poked his head in.

"Visitor for you sir." Viktor nodded and waved his hand, signaling for the person to be allowed admittance. A young woman with stylishly curled blonde hair dressed in a black pinstriped dress suit entered the room. She was strikingly beautiful, in a mildly sinister way that didn't really bother Viktor. She walked forward.

"Hello Mr. Odlethorpe. My name is Adele Bryton, and I have some information that might be of use to you." She began. "You see, I'm a bit of a historian myself, and quite recently I came upon something very unique. Something I think you're quite likely to be…interested in."

"Is that so?" Viktor kept his voice casual, though he felt excitement boiling in his veins. He was not one to pass up an opportunity, o matter who or what it was, and he certainly wasn't going to start then. Whatever this was, it looked promising.

$&(&)()()(!$#

Eve's eyes itched as she tired to keep them open. Yawning she looked over at Rick, who had fallen asleep face first in the book he'd been reading. Jonathan was sprawled out over the hotel rug, snoring loudly. Only Corin and she remained awake. Glancing at the clock, she wasn't surprised. 3:30am.

Ardeth's man had brought them the list of Pharaohs the Medjai scholars had compiled, and ever eager, she had wanted to make use of the Museums library while they could. So they'd raided the shelves and gone back to the hotel to begin looking. The list wasn't very long, but there was a lot of Egyptian history to wade through and so far they'd had no luck.

They would be leaving Egypt that afternoon. The thought saddened her. Even if it was for the best, it would be hard to bid farewell to her home so soon after arriving. And such a shame, Corin had barley gotten to see anything. Resolutely, Eve promised herself she would bring Corin back someday and show her the true Egypt. The Egypt she loved.

Sighing, she gently shook Rick awake. "Come to bed no darling." He nodded groggily, Corin closed her book, and the three of them went to their beds utterly worn out. They left Jonathan on the rug, snoring contently.


	12. Chapter 12

Authors Note: I do not own nor do I claim any affiliation with any characters or plot from the film _The Mummy _which is owned by Mr. Stephan Sommers and the nice folks at Universal Studios. No infringement intended, so please don't sue.

I want to say I'm sorry that this has taken me so long to update, it's annoying for you and irresponsible for me. I'm working on getting this done faster! Without further ado: I give you chapter 12!

$&&(&)#$!

Viktor Odlethorpe sat in a stupor before the fire. He was back in his hotel room, although he wasn't too sure how he had gotten there. All the words his guest, Adele Bryton, had said whirred about in his head. Was it possible? Could it really be that _he _was a Pharaoh? Of course, that part was the easiest to accept. He'd always known that he was royalty. But the rest of the story, curses, pledges, gold, and love, could all of that be true? And what did it mean if it was?

According to her, Miss Bryton that is, he was the reincarnated spirit of an Egyptian Pharaoh, the Pharaoh Amasis in fact. The story was fraught with romance and deception. She claimed that the Pharaoh's wife and queen, Rhodopis, had somehow not received a proper burial beside her husband. Instead, she had been cast into a common grave with no ceremony. Because of this, she did not go to the same afterlife with him, and so Amasis had shunned immortality until the time he could reclaim her. All through the ages a meddlesome spirit had hidden the queen's spirit from the Pharaoh, hoping to gain the queen's love for himself. Now, their two spirits had been reincarnated in the same time and he had a chance to set things right.

This explained the dreams, the woman in his head, and the connection with Eve. It almost seemed plausible, all things considered. All he had to do, according to Miss Bryton, was marry his soul mate and then their spirits would be allowed to pass on together. Or something to that affect. He couldn't remember exactly what she'd said word for word.

So where did this leave him? He would find Hamunaptra firstly, as was his right after all, and reclaim the wealth of Egypt. Then he would take Rhodopis, whether she were Eve or Corin, as his wife. And in the meantime, he would need to do some investigating. Miss Bryton had mentioned a force of bodyguards that would be at his beck and call, the _Medlo _or the _Medjello _or something. There was a knock.

"Enter." Adele walked in, followed by two men in black robes. They were dragging an elderly man in a gray pinstriped suit across the floor behind them. He was unconscious, his glasses cracked and bent, and there was a bright purple scar on his forehead, the result of a serious blow.

"I've found someone, sir, who I think can explain your story more fully." The two men propped the third up, bowed, and then exited the room, never once turning their backs. "These are some hired help you might say," Adele went on pulling a small bottle of smelling salts from her pocket and waving them under the unconscious man's nose. "Don't worry though; they know nothing important, just brute strength to get the job done the first time." The man began stirring a little, finally coming to.

"Wha-Where am I? Who are you? What have you done with my research?" He asked, still obviously dazed from the blow to his head. His eyes went from Viktor to Adele and back again, and then to the door as if he was plotting the best way to make his escape.

"I'm hurt Professor." Adele said, without sounding the least bit upset. "That you shouldn't remember me, tisk tisk." She wagged a finger at him, as if chastising a child, then returned her gaze to Viktor. "This is a former Professor of mine, a master of the old Egyptian Myths. Mr. Odlethorpe, I'd like you to meet Mr. Gysman."

"Wait a minuet, Adele? Adele Walters? Why I thought-" but poor Mr. Gysman was prevented from continuing his thought because of a well placed blow to his head. Adele Bryton's eyes flashed dangerously as she loomed over the terrified form of elderly Mr. Gysman.

"I told you to _never _say that name again!" She hissed. Viktor watched in shock. Who would have imagined that sweet Miss Bryton could be so…lethal? "But why should you remember, foolish old man? Although frankly, I'm…disappointed." Her voice was grim death. All Mr. Gysman could do was watching her on mute horror. "In fact," her hand crashed into the old gentleman's head with tremendous force, knocking him out instantly, "I'm quite put off."

&&(&)($

Corin watched, eyes glued to the slowly disappearing shore of a continent she may never see again, afraid that if she blinked she would lose sight of it forever. They were leaving Egypt, heading Ardeth's warning and fleeing before they could get their hands dirty. _Ardeth, there's another person I might never see again_ she thought bitterly. _And I didn't even get to say good bye. _It was true; Ardeth had been unable to even meet them at the dock to wish them well. Not that she could blame the poor man, he had a lot on his plate at the moment. But nothing could ease her sorrow at not being able to see him one last time, and thank him for everything.

They were on their way to France, to Paris, the city of lights. This would be the first time since their infancy that all three Carnahan children would be together. This would be the first time Corin would get to see the finished headstone on her mother's grave, and place a bouquet of flowers on the polished black stone, and realize fully that she wasn't on vacation with her aunt and uncle like normal people sometimes did. Her mother was dead, and Coin realized that she would have to come to terms with that eventually. She couldn't run from it forever, no matter how much she wanted to.

But it was so hard sometimes. It felt like Lydia should be walking through the door any moment, like she should be writing her a letter at that moment, just to be sure that she was all right. Sometimes, when Eve walked into the room, Corin wanted to call her "Lydia." She knew Eve saw it, and she knew it broke her aunt's heart, but what could she do? Eve looked so much like Lydia, especially when she laughed. They had the same laugh. It would be a long visit.

Heart heavy, Corin climbed into bed, too tired to even be concerned about the nightmares she knew would be waiting for her. Let them come. After all, they were only dreams.


	13. Chapter 13

Authors Note: Here I am, with another chapter! Thank-you to all those who have been so patient with me while my computer was broken. The next chapters should be out tonight or tomorrow. From here, it's a race to the end guys and girls. Be prepared.

Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I claim to own any of the characters or plot as seen in_ The Mummy,_ which is owned by Stephan Sommers and the nice folks at Universal Studios. No infringement intended, so please don't sue.

$())&#$? (&

Viktor stood before the fireplace. Was he really about to do this? Of all the things he had done in his life, the things he was proud of and the things he wasn't, this topped all. The feeling of power saturated him to his bones. With two words he could splinter the lives of so many people. With two words he could change the world. But did he dare to do it? Did he dare to take those drastic steps, take a chance and do something from which there was no turning back.

Behind him, he could feel the expectation oozing off Adele. He could feel her bloodthirsty want emanating from her knowing face. She knew he would do it. She knew he would take what he wanted greedily and with no regard for others, like he always did. But did he know it? This was big. This was something beyond buying poor peoples land to turn into auto complexes or exploiting poor foreign workers. This was…criminal.

Adele watched Viktor. She knew a farse when she saw one. She knew he would say yes to her plan, that this show of pensive thinking was only a last ditch effort from the mans black and withered soul. She could see it in his eyes. He would take what he wanted. She knew he would. He turned slowly, the firelight casting shadows on his face. His eyes glinted now, filled with purpose and finality. His words were calm, but Adele could sense the expectation there.

"Do it."

$&(&)($$(&

It was just after 2 a.m. in France. Corin sat at the window of her hotel room. Eve was asleep in the bed near by, her own vacated. Uncle Rick and Jonathan were next door. Everyone was exhausted; it had been a long journey back. They'd been delayed two days by seasonal floods, postponing the inevitable a measly 48 hours. Sleep was impossible. Today, in just perhaps 6 hours, they would be going to Lydia's grave. She would see the headstone, the words carved into the rock with bitter finality, and all naïve hope of her mother returning would be swept away forever.

It was hard to think of Lydia as cold and still. Life had poured off of her, she had always been animated, always moving. Her face always changing to show exactly what emotions were running through her at that moment. Her fingers were always skittering about, dancing and tapping. The funeral had been so rushed, a blur of black shapes and flowers. The casket had been closed. It could have been anyone's funeral, distant and impersonal. AT the time it had felt as though she had wandered into a dream. Nothing was final. Nothing was real.

Outside, a car screeched to a halt. Footsteps, voices, a fragment of La Bohem. Night in Paris. Corin didn't want morning to come; she dreaded it, almost as much as she wanted it. The cold unfeeling reality, the truth with no masks for her comfort would be a relief. And she might finally be able to say-

Downstairs, in the lobby of the hotel, a door crashed open, making Corin jump. People were yelling, a small scuffle perhaps. Then, Corin felt her blood run cold, gunshots. Three shots. A shrill scream, and then another shot. Silence. She sat rigidly, afraid to move, afraid to even breathe. Should she wake Eve up? Did she just imagine it? Surely someone else must have heard…

Footsteps, in the hall. Corin felt lightheaded. _Don't panic. Don't panic. Stay quiet. Nothing's going to happen. Everything will be just fine. _She held her breath and began counting, slowly up from 0. _1, 2, 3…_silence all around _4, 5, 6…_a cat yowled in the alley _7, 8, 9…_Eve rolled over in her sleep…_10. _The door burst open, flying off of its hinges.

&)&$#&()&

Ardeth couldn't feel anything. He felt hollow, he felt empty and alone. He had wept so long he was sure there were no liquids left in his body. He had screamed. He had bellowed at Allah begging him not to force this upon him. He felt used. He felt helpless. And most of all he felt evil. He felt so evil, so terrible and strange that he wasn't even sure of who he was any more.

2 short days ago, he had been Ardeth. 2 short days ago, he had been sure of what he stood for and who he wanted to be. But the person sitting there now, the person wearing his body, was not him. This person was a murderer. This person was evil.

2 days ago he had encountered Viktor Odlethorpe, and all hell had been let loose. Before Ardeth had a chance to speak, or flee, he had been ordered to stay. To sit. Like a dog, like a helpless marionette he had obeyed, unable to break free from his master's commands. The power Viktor had over him was frightening. There was no way to find a loophole, no way to ignore it. Whatever was ordered, he did. Without thinking, without realizing what he was doing. Like a machine.

"Amazing." Viktor had breathed, seeing his dominance. "Truly amazing." Ardeth had kneeled there, glowering at the floor, wishing with all his strength that he might bring his blade through that awful man's throat, but he was bound to stay still. "Your first order is to obey everything Miss Bryton says, unless directly contradicted by myself." Ardeth could feel the power, the promise that bound him singing in his blood. "Secondly, you will obey and serve unquestioningly." At that moment, before he could even think of resisting, he felt his mind turn to mush. He would obey. He would do anything to gain his master's favor.

"Try another order, my lord. Test his obedience." The woman, Adele, had begged. _Yes. Yes_. _Test my obedience, I will prove worthy. _ His thoughts sickened him in retrospect. Viktor's face had contorted, wondering what to order. "May I suggest one?" she had asked, sickeningly sweet, then turning to the guards by the door she ordered harshly, "Bring him in." The doors had swung open, and a gagged man dragged in.

Looking back, Ardeth could see the fear in the mans eyes, the pain, the hopelessness. But then, he had been blind to it. "Kill this man for your master." The woman ordered. Without thought, without effort, like a shadow, like a reflex, he moved. His sword was out in a second, moving like lightening across the man's throat. Death.

Now alone, and far from the siren call of his "master", he could think for himself again. He could see. Never, never in one thousand years would he forget that man's face. Never would he rest until he had seen Viktor Odlethorpe and his cunning accomplice in that same agony and fear.


	14. Chapter 14

Authors Note: Standard disclaimers apply. No infringement intended. Please, please, don't sue. All original characters, plot, etc, etc, are MY sole property and may not be reproduced without my permission. Steal them, and die. 

All right, we're nearing then end people! It's going to be a mad dash to the finish line from here. I already have my ending planned out, and I think it will satisfy most people, but just incase I'll say this now. If enough people REALLY want a sequel, or even an epilogue, I'll be glad to try. Thank-you, and enjoy the story!

)&(&#&(&$#$$&&()$

Corin's head throbbed, her nose burned, her eyes felt like mush. _Where am I?_ She couldn't remember much of the kidnapping. She'd screamed, or had it been Eve? She had heard Uncle Rick yelling, and Jonathan. And then something cold was pressed over her nose and mouth. Then blackness. She lay there, wherever she was, for a few moments. Every individual limb of her body ached. Parts of her she'd never felt before ached. It was quiet all around.

Finally, Corin decided to open her eyes. She was in a room, a bedroom. But it was a different type of bedroom. Everything was old fashioned; all the furniture looked like it had come straight from the pages of National Geographic. Her eyes bugged. She wasn't wearing the same clothes anymore. _Someone had changed her clothes!_ She was now wearing a long dress of thin cream material, tied with an intricately embroidered sash. To her surprise, there was a slipper, the exact shade of her shoes, on her foot.

Sitting up she assessed personal damage. Other than aching limbs, there were no signs of physical harm. She got up slowly. There was only one door in the room, and even though it was sure to be locked she walked over to it. She gave the knob a jiggle, and to her surprise it opened. Before lay a long hallway lit by torches. The get up of this place was starting to really freak her out. With a deep breath she set off down the hallway, determined to find some answers. Tentatively she called out, hoping for some familiar voice or landmark.

"Hello? Is there anyone there? Hellooooooo?" There was only silence.

)(&$#$$&&(($&&(&

Rick could not remember a longer night than the journey back to Egypt. There was no comfort, no reassurance that his wife and niece were all right. There was no way to know if they had been harmed, no way to know if they were even alive. There was nothing to do but sit, try to sleep, and wait. He had only Jonathan to talk to, how could he talk to any of the other passengers, what could he possibly say to them? How could he even pretend to be happy when Eve and Corin could be dead?

Why did this stuff always happen? Why was it always Eve that got kidnapped by the psychopaths? Weren't there any other women in the world to play the part of damsel in distress? Not that Eve really counted as a damsel. She could hold her own now a days. And now Corin was part of this too, something he had been dreading since the decision had been made to come to Egypt. Now, her whole life would be changed forever. Whatever happened now, Corin would never be able to forget, never be able to live a "normal" life. That option had been taken away from her without her even knowing, without her even having a say. Did it run in their family? Were the women in his life genetically programmed to attract trouble?

Rick buried his head in his hands. The ship seemed to inch along; the seconds seemed to tick backwards. He wished they would count back far enough to let him see his wife again, safe in the hotel room. He wished they would let him go back far enough to prevent them from even being taken. He wished he could go back far enough to stop Lydia from dying and leaving her daughter alone. So his wife could see her sister.

But that was impossible. Time was time, and it ran only one way. No matter how much he wished it otherwise, he had to deal with the hand he had been thrown. He had to find a way to fix things, in the future, and no good would come of wishing it there faster. There was nothing to do but wait, and wait he did.

)(&&$$&()()&$&&()(&

Ardeth could feel his blood chill. They were here. He cursed silently and hid himself behind a column. What was the old saying, out of sight out of mind? Viktor wasn't likely to issue orders if he couldn't see the Medjai leader. Ardeth held his breath. That helped sometimes. It was hard to even avoid his "master", to willfully deceive him. Holding his breath sometimes helped to keep his head clear. Helped him find himself again. Of course it was only a temporary solution to a rapidly mounting problem.

Once the "Pharaoh" had passed, dressed to kill in his new costume, Ardeth snuck back out. He needed to find them. Eve and Corin. Before it was too late. Before he was ordered to do something awful and any chance of helping them escape was gone. _Corin... _He shut his eyes and begged Allah for strength. Whatever happened, he needed to get them out.

It was getting harder to focus, harder to find himself with every day that passed. Soon it would be too late, and if he couldn't escape by then, he would become a mindless zombie servant, useless to help his friends avoid death and imprisonment. His mind was still reeling from deceiving his "master". The bond that tied him to the Pharaoh was impossibly strong. He knew he needed to act now and save Eve and Corin before it was too late.

Serving Viktor did have its advantages. He was allowed in on many important conversations, a robot ready to serve. While he was in the presence of is "master" he couldn't actually process the information, but later, when he was alone, he could remember entire conversations and complex plans. So although Viktor's refurbished Hamunaptra was enormous, Ardeth knew exactly where Eve and Corin were being kept. He took a deep breath. Time to take action.

At that moment the doors at the opposite end of the hallway swung open. _Allah! It cannot be Viktor already!_ Ardeth felt all hope draining from him. The Pharaoh was back, time had run out. Any second now he would be called upon to fetch Eve and Corin and bring them to the great hall. From there, no one's future would be certain. He looked out, ready to see Viktor's hateful face, but instead he saw someone very different. His stomach gave a little flip.

"Corin?"

There could be no denying that she was the girl in his dreams. There could be no denying that this was Rhodopis to his Xanthos. Forced into a costume era appropriate, she simply was Rhodopis. Her eyes, her face... Everything about her was perfect. _But does she know? Does she remember as well?_

)(&$#&$#$&&()#$&()? 

Corin swung open the doors at the end of the hallway. The room before her was massive, a great glittering hall. She took a few shuffled steps forward, eyes glazed over in wonder. She had never seen a place so large in all her life...and yet she had. She had the strangest sensation that she had been there before. But when?

"Corin." A voice called out, familiar in so many ways. A voice she had never been so happy to hear in all her life. It struck her, then, how she knew that voice. In her dreams...the ones that left her flushed and uncomfortable upon awaking, the ones that made her ache in a strangely wonderful way...the man, Xanthos...Her eyes sought him out, needing to see him, needing to be sure.

When their eyes finally met, there could be no doubt. The same confusion, the same pain, and yes, the same love in her own eyes were mirrored there. And for a moment nothing else mattered.

"Ardeth?" Corin didn't know what to say, what words could express the way she felt, could express everything there was to say between them.

"It's all right. I know."


	15. Chapter 15

Authors Note: Standard disclaimers apply. No infringement intended. Please, please, don't sue. All original characters, plot, etc, etc, are MY sole property and may not be reproduced without my permission. Steal them, and die.

I'm SO sorry this has taken so long to get out. WARNING: This chapter is WAY sappy, ye be warned. I couldn't help myself!

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Corin didn't know how to react. Nothing made sense anymore. Her mind was numb, she couldn't concentrate on anything other than keeping up with Ardeth's pace. All the sensations in her body seemed to have drained from her, culminating altogether in her hand, right where her fingers laced together with his. It didn't matter that she was in a strange place, or that she didn't know where Eve and Rick were, or even if she would get out of this place alive. All that mattered was that Ardeth was there, and as long as he was there, everything would, somehow, be alright.

They were running through a maze of corridors, rooms and torches blurring past. Corin could only look at _him_, could only drink in the sight of him. After so much confusion, so much fear and denial, she just needed to look at him. She just needed to be sure that, after everything, he was real. It didn't matter that she already knew how their story ended, with his death and her enslavement as Viktors wife, all of that was meaningless. He was really there in front of her and this wasn't just another dream, another nightmare. He really loved her.

She wasn't sure where there were going exactly, although she was fairly sure that they were trying to get to Eve. Maybe they were going to meet up with Uncle Rick and Uncle Jonathan. It also stood to reason that they were just trying to escape in general, or that they were looking for Viktor. It didn't matter, he was here now. She felt safer than she'd felt in a long while.

"We must be silent," Ardeth murmured as they ran. "Viktor mustn't find us, mustn't find you Corin, he mustn't even know your gone until you're half way around the globe. The farther the better. I'll give you directions, you ca meet some friends of mine, they'll get you out safely-"

"I'm not going without you." Corin interjected in a whisper. Ardeth stopped so he could turn and look at her. Corin looked at the ground; unable to meet those luminous brown orbs she could feel burning a hole in her skull. "I won't do it." She repeated, "I'm not going with out you." Ardeth lay a hand on her cheek. His heart was breaking. He had been ordered by Viktor not to leave the complex. No matter how much he wanted to stay beside her, he knew that at the gates to the city, he would have to let her go.

"You must Corin, it's not safe…I'm not safe-" Corin cut him off by pressing her lips against his briefly. Ardeth felt as though the world had frozen into that one perfect moment.

"I just found you," she whispered, "I'm not losing you again." He gently caught her chin, cupping her face as her drew her closer and pressed his lips against hers again, for longer this time, savoring the moment. Her eyes flickered shut, and she became wrapped in the beauty of the moment. After a second he broke away.

"What do we have here?" a cold, familiar voice hissed from down the hallway. Ardeth jerked back from her, his eyes wide open and filled with an emotion Corin had never seen there before, fear. She knew, somewhere inside that he wasn't afraid for himself, he was only afraid for her.

"Run Corin! Don't look back, just run! Follow the hallway, you'll get out! Quick, before-" his face was full of panic as he gently gave her a shove, he managed to give her a small smile, one she knew was fake, which made everything burn even more. "RUN!" Corin took off sprinting down the hallway. She could hear Adele saying something, could hear Ardeth crying out as if in pain, shouting as someone came upon them. Corin could vaguely tell that she was crying.

She was so confused she ran right into someone's arms.

&$#$#&(&&)(()(&&&&

"KNEEL!" Adele roared. Ardeth could feel his knees buckling beneath him, his spine slowly being bent as if some invisible hand were trying to flatten him. He let out a strangulated cry before his vocal chords closed off and his throat ran dry. There was nothing to do now but wait. Adele's iron slaps rained on his face, but Ardeth could only kneel before her, silent and unmoving, taking the abuse.

"How dare you!" she screamed, "How dare you betray your master!" The pain felt good to him, this pain at the hand of his mistress. He wanted her to keep hitting him; any contact with her was pleasure. She paused in her attack, and her voice dropped to a deadly hiss, "You will tell me where she's going." Something in Ardeth's mind snapped._Her…Corin…NO! _

Some fragment of his mind demanded he fight. Words bubbled up to his lips, and it took all his concentration to stifle them. "WHERE is she going!?" Adele slapped him again. "WHERE?" It was agony, trying to keep silent. Agony. Pain was the only sensation he could feel, coursing through him everywhere. And he knowledge that he could end the pain with just a few words…His body was shaking from the effort.

Just a little bit longer…just long enough for Corin to escape…just a little bit more… 

Just then a man ran up. "'mam." He murmured, kneeling down.

"What?" Adele hissed back, eyes never leaving Ardeth.

"It's Mr. Odlethorpe 'mam. He's…well, we've been doing as you asked, but he's making things harder…he's…he's called everyone together and…He has the girl, and he's looking for you 'mam."

"Fine. Tell Odlethorpe I'm coming and get the others." Adele ordered. We're accelerating the plans. We move today." The man nodded, eyes wide, before tripping all over himself to get away. Ardeth could barely keep his screams in his throats. Adele turned her attention to Ardeth. "As for you," she murmured, "I have a very special plan for you." She laughed. "Stop your shaking, I withdraw my order." Ardeth's body went slack, his muscles were on fire. "I order you to obey only me, to disregard your master and serve me alone. And," she paused dramatically, "I order you to kill Viktor Odlethorpe."

Ardeth felt his muscles lock, and, already weakened by the strain of resisting, he could do nothing to resist her words. He let his mind slip into it's robotic function, allowing himself to go with the flow of Adele's words. It felt good, to obey. To do what he was told, to gain his new mistresses favor. His sword was out of its sheath before he even knew what was happening, and Ardeth could feel himself moving, sprinting down the hallway silent as a ghost.

)(&&&$#&(&&&$

Viktor could barley believe his luck when Corin came crashing into him, just when he'd gone to find her. Of course, she was crying. But, by now he was used to seeing her sobbing. He'd seen her crying a thousand times in his mind, in dreams. He'd seen how everything had ended before, and how everything would end this time. Xanthos would be found and executed. Rhodopis would stay with him for ever. Their souls would never again be parted.

For someone so small, Corin put up a good fight. She thrashed about and screamed, her face streaked with tears.Holding her wasn't very hard; she was so small her thrashing was easily contained. Gently he lifted her above the ground, her legs kicking the air harmlessly. She yelled louder, but her efforts were in vain. He spoke above her cries.

"Come now poppet. We have a wedding to attend and an execution."


	16. Chapter 16

Authors Note: Standard disclaimers apply. No infringement intended. Please, please, don't sue. All original characters, plot, etc, etc, are MY sole property and may not be reproduced without my permission. Steal them, and die.

I have a few things to say before I continue. You people amaze me. Not only do you leave me encouraging reviews full of good advice, you put up with me taking forever between posts. You guys know who you are. You rock, and I cannot say how much I love you guys. This one is for you.

(&&$$#$&(&$$

Corin found herself in a small room with a bunch of women in cult classic gowns. She struggled against them, but she would have had more luck fighting against the tide or, more locationally appropriate, quicksand. They all were bustling about her, pulling clothing over her head, clipping earrings the size of fifty cent pieces to her ears, and wrapping her feet in what appeared to be rose colored ballet flats.

Her mind was shot, sparks were flashing before her eyes, and the gears in her brain were grinding in overtime. It was all too much. She felt like a rag doll being tossed about, limp, lifeless, and empty. She was barely aware of the women painting her face with rouge and kohl, of the heavy gold jewelry being draped over every appendage. _Shock_ she thought,_this must be shock, a sudden disturbance of mental equilibrium._She'd read that somewhere. _What the hell does that even mean? _

Before she had time to take playing psychiatrist to herself any further, two of the women caught her wrists and pulled her forward gently, through the double doors. Corin felt like she was floating, she was moving with any conscious knowledge of doing anything. Through that door lay her fears and her hopes. Slapping herself mentally, she forced herself to focus. It was time to face what lay ahead once and for all.

The room before her was glowing with torchlight, which bounced off of all the gold plating making the room blinding in its intensity. The two women were still pulling her forward slowly, as if guiding a lost child. Ahead, and seated on a rather impressive throne, was Viktor Odlethorpe, dressed to impress in a ceremonial headdress.

Corin's brain flipped back on, as if someone had flicked a switch. It was as if someone had lit a fire in her brain. She began fighting back, pulling at her captors, struggling. But instantly, several other hands clamped onto her and she was steadily pulled across the room.

And then, the doors slammed open.

)(&$$$#!!$$(&

Ardeth was vaguely aware that he was walking. His hand was wrapped around something, probably his sword. He was off to go kill Victor Odlethorpe, as per his mistress's instructions. His limbs were burning with their intent. His mind could only think of the task at hand, of pleasing the only person important in the world. Nothing like a quick kill in the morning. The doors were swinging open before him. There was the target, unsuspecting, easy prey.

"Ah, there's my captain." The insulting voice of Viktor boomed out. "How appropriate he'll be here for the wedding." And then, to someone else, "Don't be shy dear, come on up, there's no need to be nervous." But Ardeth wasn't listening. This man's voice meant nothing, absolutely nothing. He was moving faster now, his body unconsciously adopting a battle stance, moving in for the kill.

Eyes bugging out. A strangulated cry of fear. A flash of cold steel. A whoosh of air. A splattering sound. The slight impact of thick liquid staining his robes. The thud of a body hitting the floor. And a faint gurgling sound. Viktor Odlethorpe was dead.

Faintly, Ardeth was aware of someone screaming.

)(&$#!!#$$&()!(#&#&$

This was Ardeth, as she had never seen him before. This was the man that could strike fear into the hearts of whoever the hell he pleased. This was a deadly killer, honed and meticulous. He was frightening, lithe and quick, moving with ease and grace, never once faltering. He was terrifying and he was beautiful. Corin could scarcely breathe watching. And just like that, in a flash of gore, Viktor was dead.

Corin looked away as the corpse fell to the ground. Viktor was an awful man, he'd done terrible things, but she didn't want him dead. The thud as he hit the floor echoed through the room. _Dead…dead forever. Dead like Lydia…_Corin felt herself crying, bile rose in the back of her throat. _Dead…_It took a moment to collect herself enough to look up.

Ardeth's sword was back in the sheath. And he was moving back from the corpse. His eyes passed right over her, and she felt as though she were the one who'd been stabbed. _Why won't he look at me? _Something nagged her as wrong. His eyes were vacant, empty, and cold. They weren't the eyes she remembered, the gentle amused eyes she knew were gone. Something was very wrong.

"Well done Ardeth, you see," Corin's head jerked away form him to see a blonde woman walking into the room, "you see, it's so much easier when you just do as I say." She walked briskly towards the throne. She paused over Viktor's corpse long enough to nudge him with her foot and observe the growing blood puddle. "He's left quite a mess." She settled herself on the throne.

Corin stared at the woman blankly, wondering why on earth she was talking to Ardeth like that.

"Kneel," the woman ordered lazily, waving her hand. The room was still. Ardeth's head shot up, but he didn't move. The woman stared at him in surprise, then her eyes narrowed, "kneel." No one moved, no one made any noise at all observing the show down. Then Ardeth drew his sword.

"Give me a reason," he hissed, placing the blade at here neck. "Give me a reason not to just kill you right now." The woman's eyes widened in shock, slowly changing into fear, and then terror.

"I gave you an order!" her voice turned shrill. "I gave you an order!" Ardeth looked over at Corin, and her fear turned to relief as his eyes softened for her. Slowly, so as to spare her any more alarm he held out his other hand. A spared her a half smile. Shrugging out of the startled women's grips, she bolted forward and caught his hand.

"It's all going to be okay Corin," he promised. The woman was still yelling about giving orders. For the third time that night the doors banged open, and a very flustered Eve marched in.

"There you are!"


	17. Chapter 17

Authors Note: Standard disclaimers apply. No infringement intended. Please, please, don't sue. All original characters, plot, etc, etc, are MY sole property and may not be reproduced without my permission. Steal them, and die.

THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER OF ROSE RED SLIPPERS! I've decided that I'm going to write an epilogue, so watch for it in the next few weeks.

Thank-you to every single person who reviewed. You guys rock!

I'm going to ask all my readers a HUGE favor, and hope to get some honest and helpful responses. Now that the series is really over (except for the epilogue) I'm going to be reworking all the previous chapters, adding things, reworking characters, etc. I read all of your reviews, and I live for the advice of my readers. So, if you have ideas or even specific places in mind where you would like to see change, please leave a polite review. Any one who breaks the polite rule will be banished promptly.

I'm also thinking about starting a new Sirius Black OC story here on FF. Thoughts?

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The hours that followed were filled with confusion, yelling, and tears. The moment Eve marched into the room toting a large shotgun she'd, presumably, knicked from a guard, everything began to work itself out. Rather, everyone in the room, including the hysterical blond, promptly shut up and Eve started issuing orders like a tyrannical dictator and everyone, including Corin and Ardeth, jumped to obey. There are few things in the world, observed Corin, more terrifying than an irate woman with a big gun. Later on, Eve would explain her less than gentle manner on hormones. When Rick and Jonathan barged in about 15 minutes later, guns blazing, Eve relinquished her power to her husband and contented herself to suffocating Corin in a big, wet hug.

It turned out that, while Eve, Corin, and Ardeth were busy taking down the whole operation from the inside, Rick and Jonathan were conquering their way through the outside, with a little help. Rick had called in a few favors for the occasion, and the two had gotten to the city in record time and with a record amount of weaponry. All that was left to attend to was burning the fake Hamunaptra down and leaving before news of the blaze spread. Compared to what had already been done, this was an easy task.

The few Medjai in the building took the blond woman, Adele, into their custody. She went with then languidly, like a broken puppet. Corin wondered if Ardeth would leave with his men, and for a moment she felt a spasm of fear flit across her. But Ardeth squeezed her hand and told his men that his duty lay in returning the O'Connell's safely.

Most of Viktor's men and women had already fled by the time they finished dousing the entire premises in gasoline. Eve, Corin, and Jonathan waited outside for Rick and Ardeth to finish up and light the actual fire. Rick pulled out a match and proceeded to strike it one Ardeth, who glared at him in return. Rick only smiled and tossed the little flame, and the two men quickly made their exit.

"So," Rick murmured as the duo emerged into the night, "Corin…". But one look from his friend silenced him. Rick coughed a little uncomfortably. "I guess I don't have to ask then." Ardeth only shook his head.

"There is a time for words my friend," Ardeth said gently, "but this is not one of those times. What can I tell you that will allow you to understand what is in my heart? What words could I use to explain all these thoughts in my head?" He smiled. "No my friend, there will be a time for words. But it is not here, not now." Rick choked a little.

"But do you-er…do you…I mean good God Ardeth! This is all so damn hard to wrap my head around! The way…the way you two, you look at each other…like…as though you've been…_like that_ for the longest time…as though…" Rick struggled to find the right words, "You've known each other for a few months and already it's an though you're…"

"If it helps you to avoid the word, Rick, especially in this context, do not trouble yourself by trying to force it out." Ardeth fixed his eyes straight ahead, where the shadowy figures of Eve, Corin and Jonathan swam into view under the light of the giant flaming inferno behind them.

"But _do_ you…?" Ardeth closed his eyes for a moment. Then sighing, he answered.

"Yes."

)&&&$$#&(&$()R$&

Eve fell asleep almost instantly as they set off through the desert night. Although she'd never felt safer in her life, Corin had a harder time drifting off than her aunt. Maybe it was the closeness of Ardeth's body, or the fact that his arm was wrapped around her, but Corin simply couldn't sleep. Part of her was desperately afraid that if she did sleep when she awoke all of it would disappear around her like a mirage. Nothing, no thought could ever hurt so much as the idea of loosing all of this.

She considered talking, but dismissed the idea at once. There were not words for what had just happened, no words for everything she felt right then. And somehow, she knew it was probably better off that way. It was impossible to imagine that he could really love her. It was improbable at best that the two of them could ever be together. It was terrifying to consider that, in a few hours time, she might have to say good-bye to the man she knew she couldn't live without.

But for the moment, she could simply pretend that tomorrow would never come. She could savor this moment, closer to Ardeth than she'd ever been. She could listen to his heartbeat and feel the warmth of his body against hers. Here, and now, there were no good-byes to make.

Snuggling closer to Ardeth, Corin finally closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

(&A$#$$&&()(&$

The next day was the funeral of one of the men kidnapped and killed at Viktor's Hamunaptra. His name was Walter Gysman. Corin felt sure she'd heard the name before, but she wasn't sure of when. Beside her, in formal Medjai grieving clothes, stood Ardeth. Corin felt the heat rising in her cheeks had to remember not to stare at him. But one giddy thought kept running through her head, _he's holding my hand!_ Eve caught her eye and smiled a bit.

The man in the coffin looked exactly as a grandfather should, Corin decided. He had patchy gray hair and round wire rim spectacles. His belly was round, the kind that jiggles just a little when a person laughs. His hands, she noticed, were worn and rough, but there was an undeniable gentleness about him. Exactly how Corin had always imagined a grandfather should look. The nice kind of grandfather who took you out for ice cream at the park every Saturday. The kind she'd never had.

For a moment, so fast she could barely register it, the man in the coffin looked overwhelmingly familiar, in a way Corin couldn't understand. Somewhere, deep inside her mind a voice whispered, "Are you alright dear?". She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and the voice disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Corin knew it was hard for Ardeth to see this man. Eve had explained to her all about the oath of the Medjai. She's explained that Ardeth had been forced to kill this harmless old man. But even knowing that it wasn't his fault, even knowing that he'd had no control over his own body, couldn't ease his guilt. Corin gently squeezed his hand as they walked away from the coffin. As usual, he spared her a gentle smile. It seemed he always had a smile for her.

As they made their way to their seats, they passed a display set up of some of the artifacts Mr. Gysman had found in his many journeys. There, in a glass bow, were two beautiful red slippers, the kind you'd expect to see on a queen. Corin looked down at her own rose red shoes, recently purchased for the funeral, and then back at the display. There was something about rose red. Maybe it was getting in touch with the past, maybe it was just the color. Either way, Corin had felt a certain affinity for rose these days.

"Would you look at those?" Rick whispered in her ear, letting out a low whistle. "How'd you like to wear those shoes Corin?" Looking up into Ardeth's smiling brown eyes in front of her, Corin turned to her uncle and whispered back.

"I think I like my own shoes just fine."


End file.
